As far as spot-news reporting goes, Citizen Journalists are better positioned to report it because they might be present on the spot of accidents due to sheer chance. As accidents are not anticipated so there is a least probability that professional journalists would be present on the spot. In such scenario a citizen who witnesses the event firsthand can write and become a Citizen Journalist.

WHAT IS it that the Citizen Journalists can pull it off faster and in a better manner? It is spot-news reporting. How can u expect a traditional Journalist to be present at the scene when fire breaks out in a colony or a car accident takes place? These are things which are not planned; hence the media will not be present at the spot. Neither can these incidents be anticipated. Hence, Citizen Journalists at the scene can play a very important role from the spot by disseminating news at the earliest.

In
Focus

Many people around the world have mobile phones fitted with high-end cameras. Hence, it becomes a weapon in the hands of the Citizen Journalists, who can shoot videos or take stills with it. They can immediately upload the picture or the videos on various networking sites and the news will soon become viral. It was during the Arab revolution that this kind of reporting came to the forefront as people shot the best images and the videos, as they were very close to the action; in fact they were also participating in it. So, they had first hand information about everything.

Even if you don’t possess a camera, a simple pen might also work, as you can talk to the victims, persons affected by the action and so on. It can lead to a wonderful print story. If it is up to the mark, various newspapers might be interested in publishing the story. People at the news desks may be too late to inform their reporters about the happenings. So, it is the speed with which the news can be disseminated by Citizen Journalists, which highlights the importance of Citizen Journalism .

Some of the best example regarding such reporting was the aftermath of the London metro bombings, where people very quickly recorded the action on their mobile phone cameras to provide a better understanding. As a result they were able to produce such images, which the traditional Journalists could not. It happened because that these Citizen Journalists were present there when the bombings took place. Sometimes luck also plays an important role.

If Citizen Journalists keep their eyes open, there are many a things that may be going on around his city and town. So, he /she should not wait for the reporter to come and report the news as the news may lose its heat, therefore he should take pictures, videos and talk to people and upload it on the Internet, on his blog, if he possesses one. This could also act his personal space and who knows, if people would gain interest in his stories and start following his blog. He may be the eye and the ear for the local residents. What else would a Citizen Journalist want now?